1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mounting device for mounting a speaker enclosure or cabinet in an elevated position at a vertical or horizontal intersection of two walls, a wall and a ceiling, or similar structures, wherein the device facilitates easily locating supportive studs underlying surface sheathings, and is adapted to couple with and support the speaker enclosure in such a manner as to allow for dismounting and remounting the speaker enclosure from or on the device without dismounting the device itself from the structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Those with skill in the art of home audio or theater systems and speaker enclosures or cabinets will appreciate that it is often desirable to mount a speaker enclosure in an elevated position at a vertical or horizontal intersection of two walls, a wall and a ceiling, or similar structures. Unfortunately, a number of problems are encountered when attempting to do so, including difficulty locating studs or similar structures capable of supporting the speaker enclosure and a mounting mechanism, and difficulty and inconvenience in dismounting and remounting the speaker enclosure for maintenance or replacement.
The studs are constructed of wood or metal for supporting the walls, and typically spaced between twelve and twenty-four inches apart depending on a number of factors, including use and load bearing requirements. Each wall is framed with corner studs, such that an intersection of the walls results in first and second perpendicularly-oriented closely spaced or abutting studs. The studs are covered with a sheathing such as, for example, sheet rock or wood paneling. The wall sheathing is typically unsuitable for supporting substantial loads, such as the speaker enclosure, so any such load mounted on the surface must be secured to one or more underlying studs for reliable support. Unfortunately, it will be appreciated, locating the studs hidden beneath the sheathing can be very difficult. Furthermore, fasteners driven into the an improperly located stud may split or otherwise damage the stud and fail to provide the desired support.
Additionally, recent developments in home theater systems have resulted in speaker enclosures that are larger and heavier than those previously used, thereby making the mounting thereof even more difficult. The speaker enclosures have become larger in order to house more complex crossover networks and bigger speaker magnets, which provide improved control over speaker cone movement. Furthermore, speaker enclosures have become heavier due to use of heavier materials from which the speaker enclosures are constructed, with the heavier speaker enclosures providing improved bass response and reduced resonance.
Once properly mounted, it may at some point become necessary to dismount the speaker enclosure for maintenance or replacement, after which the same or a different speaker enclosure must be remounted. Unfortunately, many existing mounting schemes do not allow for convenient dismounting and remounting, and some require that the mounting mechanism itself be dismounted and remounted or that the fasteners be withdrawn and reapplied to the studs. It will be appreciated that either action can result in damage to the sheathing or the studs and may ultimately undermine their supportive qualities and cause structural failure.
Due to the above-identified and other problems and disadvantages in the art, a need exists for an improved speaker mounting mechanism.
The present invention overcomes the above-identified and other problems and disadvantages in the art to provide a mounting device for mounting a speaker enclosure or cabinet in an elevated position at a vertical or horizontal intersection of two walls, a wall and a ceiling or similar first and second structures, wherein the device facilitates easily locating supportive studs hidden beneath surface sheathings, and is adapted to couple with and support the speaker enclosure in such a manner as to allow for conveniently dismounting and remounting the enclosure from and on the device without dismounting the device itself from the walls.
The preferred mounting device comprises a corner bracket and an upper and a lower mounting plate. The corner bracket presents a substantially triangular cross-section, is made of aluminum, plastic, or a similarly suitable material, and, in a preferred embodiment, presents five surfaces. The first and second surfaces are corner-facing surfaces and intersect each other at an approximate 150xc2x0 angle. The third and fourth surfaces are wall-facing and intersect the first and second surfaces, respectively, at approximate 150xc2x0 angles. The fifth surface is speaker-facing and intersects the third and fourth surfaces at approximate 45xc2x0 angles, thereby completing and closing the substantially triangular corner bracket. The speaker-facing surface is oriented substantially perpendicular to a plane bisecting the intersection of the walls and provides a coupling mechanism whereby the speaker enclosure may be removably coupled with the mounted corner bracket. In a preferred embodiment, the coupling mechanism comprises an upper and a lower elongated slot or groove in the speaker-facing surface and operable to removably receive upper and lower fasteners associated with the upper and the lower mounting plates.
The mounting plates are secured to a rear portion of the speaker enclosure and incorporate or receive the fasteners. The fasteners may be any suitable coupling mechanism, such as, for example, threaded bolts or fixed mounting posts. Various alternative embodiments of both the corner bracket and the mounting plates are possible, a representative sample of which are presented herein.
In operation, the corner bracket is positioned at the intersection of two walls or a wall and a ceiling. Fasteners driven into holes provided in the corner-facing surfaces automatically align with the underlying corner studs, thereby ensuring proper support. The wall-facing surfaces will abut the walls, and cutouts let into the wall-facing surfaces will correspond to holes in the walls wherethrough speaker wires are able to exit the walls, enter the an interior portion of the corner bracket, and connect to the rear portion of the speaker enclosure. The mounting plates will have been attached to the speaker enclosure using wood screws or an equivalent means. Thereafter, the enclosure may be lowered onto the speaker-facing surface of the bracket such that the upper and lower fasteners are securely received within the elongated grooves. The fasteners are then tightened to complete the mounting process. Dismounting the speaker enclosure is easily accomplished by loosening or removing the fasteners and lifting the enclosure from the mounted bracket.
Thus, it will be appreciated that the present invention offers a number of advantages over the prior art, including a mechanism whereby the corner studs are automatically and reliably located. Furthermore, once mounted, the speaker enclosure may be easily dismounted by loosening the bolts and lifting the enclosure from the corner bracket, without having to dismount the corner bracket itself.
These and other important aspects of the present invention are more fully described in the section entitled DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT, below.